Photographic processing apparatus



April 25, 1967 Q J H PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSING APPARATUS 2 Sheets- Sheet 1Filed Oct. 15, 1964 C. J. HUNT PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSING APPARATUS April25, 1967 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed Oct. 15, 1964 IVI/EA/TOE. 67 4/9455 cl115w;

irroelves make it posssible to process a backed sheets and theelimination United States Patent 3,315 583 PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSINGAPPARATUS Charles J. Hunt, .Orange, Califi, assignor to Beattic-Coleman, Inc., Anaheim, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Oct.15, 1964, Ser. No. 404,045 2 Claims. (CI. 95-94) This invention relatesto a processing apparatus for developing a latent image on exposedphotosensitive material to produce a finished print. The invention isbroadly applicable for its purpose and may be embodied not only in atwo-solution stabilization processor but also in a monobath processor.

A stabilization processor produces a finished print from an exposedphotosensitive sheet in which the emulsion incorporates a developingagent and in which the processor employs an activator solution to bringout the image and a second stabilizer solution to fix the image. Thesingle solution in a monobath processor combines one or more developingagents with one or more fixing agents. Both types of processes arecapable of producing a print within a short time period. For the purposeof disclosure, the invention is described herein as embodied in astabilization processor which if desired may also be employed as amonobath processor.

In a typical stabilization processor as heretofore constructed, rollersimmersed in an activator solution treat the photosensitive sheet andthen the sheet follows arcuate guide wires into complete immersion inthe stabilizer solution. The guide wires curve upward from thestabilizer solution to a final pair of squeegee rollers which draw thesheet from the stabilizer solution for exit from the Stabilizationprocessors are widely used because they eliminate the tedious steps ofconventional wet processing of prints and are capable of quicklyproducing quality prints on a variety of photosensitive materials. Withthe wide acceptance of stabilization processors, however, certainpressing needs for improvement have become apparent and the broad objectof the present invention is to meet these needs.

One need is to reduce the time required for a print to dry sufiicientlyfor use on a mock up. Another need is to provide an apparatus that willprocess the emulsion face of a photosensitive sheet without drenchingthe opposite back face of the sheet. Such an apparatus wouldphotosensitive sheet havback surface without ad- The use of adhesivelyof the usual drying time application of the deing an adhesive coating onits versely affecting the adhesive.

would make possible immediate veloped prints to a mock up.

Another need is to eliminate the necessity for any preliminary manualbending of a sheet of photosensitive material to facilitate gripping ofthe sheet by the squeegee rolls and to prevent blocking of the advanceof the sheet by the squeegee rolls. If a sheet is slightly stiff it isoften necessary to bend up the leading end of the sheet slightly forthis purpose before the sheet is inserted into the apparatus becauseotherwise the sheet catches and buckles in the activator solution.

A further and pressing need is for a processor that is more flexible inthe sense of being capable of processing photosensitive sheets of widelydifferent physical proper ties and widely different sizes. Aconventional stabilization processor cannot be used to processrelatively stiff photosensitive sheets, for example, metal name platesand metal labels because the changes in direction of the path of travelof the sheet through the processor would permanently bend the sheetmaterial. At the opposite extreme a photosensitive sheet of limp fabricsimply wads em further makes it possible to 3,315,583 Patented Apr- 25,1967 up in the stabilizer solution without reaching the squeegee outputrolls.

The limitation with respect to the dimensions of photosensitive sheetsis inherent in the structure of a conventional stabilization processor.Since the developer rolls must push the photosensitive sheet through thestabilizer solution to the final squeegee rolls, a sheet to be processedmust be at least as long as the path between the developer rollers andthe final squeegee rollers including the curved detour through thestabilizer solution. A sheet that is too short simply comes to rest inthe stabilizer solution.

Broadly described, the present invention meets all of these needs byemploying a plurality or set of closely spaced pairs of cooperatingpressure rollers to move the photosensitive sheet material through theapparatus with the path of travel wholly above the level of the twosolutions. Lower pressure rollers of the set are partially immersed inboth of the solutions for the purpose of treating the lower emulsionface of the photosensitive sheets, but the final rolls of the set areabove the level of the activator solution to squeegee the finishedsheets to thoroughly dry state.

In the presently preferred practice of the invention the pairs ofpressure rollers are divided into two groups, comprising two pairs ofrollers in the region of the activator solution and three pairs ofrollers in the region of the stabilizer solution. In this regard, afeature of the invention is the employment of separate gear trains atopposite sides of the processor to actuate the two groups of pressurerollers. Thus there is no possibility of liquid migrating along thegearing from one solution to the other.

Since all of the successive pairs of pressure rollers are closelyspaced, the sheet material is under close control throughout theprocess. For this reason a limp sheet of fabric is processed asefficiently and expeditiously as a relatively stiff paper sheet. Theclose spacing of the rollproces-s efiiciently pieces of sheet materialas short as two inches in length or shorter.

Since the final output rollers are not immersed in the activatorsolution, an upward change in direction of the traveling sheet mustoccur. A feature of the invention, however, is that the change indirection is relatively slight, for example on the order of 15, and theresulting bending of the sheet material is well within the elasticlimits of most sheet metal stock up to 18 gauge thickness. Thus theinvention makes it possible to process sheet metal stock with nopermanent bending deformation.

The features and advantages of the invention may be understood from thefollowing detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, which are to be regarded as illustrative:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the initial embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus on a larger scale with a majorportion of the cover broken away to reveal normally concealed structure;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view with the cover shown in section;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the roller assembly as seen from oneside of the assembly;

FIG. 5 is a similar view as seen from the opposite side of the assembly;

FIG. 6A is a diagrammatic view on a smaller scale showing how arelatively short piece of paper is transported through the apparatus;

FIG. 6B is a similar view showing how the device handles limp pieces offabric;

FIG. 6C is a similar view showing how a metal plate travels through theapparatus; and

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of a pair of rollers showing the relationof the liquid thereto.

The principal parts of the initial embodiment of the invention shown inthe drawings include: a receptacle or container means, generallydesignated 10, which as indicated in FIG. 6A is divided into a firstcompartment 12 containing a body of activator liquid 14 and a secondcompartment 15 containing a body of liquid stabilizer 16; a motorhousing 18 integral with one end of the receptacle 10; a roller assemblyillustrated by FIGS. 4 and which is removably mounted on the receptacleand a removable cover 20 which normally closes the open top of thereceptacle 10.

The receptacle 10, which is of relatively wide configuration in plan, ispreferably of thin-walled construction molded from a suitable plastic.The two compartments 12 and 13 are separated by a rounded partition 22(FIG. 6A) and the rim 24 of the receptacle is integral with an outerwall 25 that terminates in a continuous lower flange 26 which is bestshown in FIG. 1. The flange 26 rests on support pads 28 at the fourcorners of the receptacle and at intermediate points at the front andback of the receptacle.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the two compartments 12 and 15 isformed with an extension or bay 30 at the right side of the compartmentwhich bay has an upwardly sloping bottom wall 32. The sloping bottomwall 32 has an index mark 34 to indicate the correct liquid level andhas a drainage port 35 at a higher level which may be employed whendesired to drain the receptacle with the receptacle in tilted position.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the motor housing 18 encloses a suitablemotor 36 which incorporates reduction gearing (not shown) to actuate ashort drive shaft 38. The drive shaft 38 terminates in a square socketto receive the square end 40 of a second drive shaft 42 which is, ineffect, a continuation of the first drive shaft. A suitable electriccord 44 is provided to plug the motor int-o a source of current and anexternal switch '45 is provided to control energization of the motor.

The cover 20, which may be of thin-wa1led construction of the sameplastic material as the receptacle 10, rests on the rim 24 of thereceptacle and preferably is suitably releasably latched in place. Forthis purpose the heads of a pair of screws 46 (FIGS. 2 and 3) on thefront and back of the receptacle adjacent the motor housing 18 may serveas detent lugs to engage corresponding detent apertures 48 (FIG. 1) inthe cover, the cover being sufficiently resilient for disengagement whendesired. The front of the cover is provided with a transverse feed slot50 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and is further provided with a transversedischarge slot 52 indicated in FIG. 2.

As may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the cover 20 is stepped down on itsright hand side to provide a shelf 54 in which two circular seats orrecesses 55 are formed to receive the shoulders of two upside downbottles 56 which contain supply quantities of the activator liquid andthe stabilizer liquid respectively. Each of the seats 55 is of circularconfiguration and is provided with a circular concentric opening 58 toreceive the neck of a bottle. As indicated in FIG. 3, each of thebottles 56 is provided with a stopper 60 in which is mounted a shortdownwardly extending feed tube 62 and a longer vent tube 64. The twotubes 62 and 64 extend down to the desired liquid level in the bay 30 ofthe corresponding compartment 12 or 15 and cooperate to supplyreplenishing liquid automatically as necessary to maintain the liquidlevel, the liquid level being indicated by the line 65.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the rollers of the roller assembly comprise a firstgroup of two pairs of rollers associated with the first compartment 12that contains the activator liquid and a second group of three pairs ofrollers associated with the second compartment 15 that contains thestabilizing liquid. The first pair of rollers comprises a lower roller66 partially immersed in the activator solution 14 and a cooperatingupper roller 68. The second pair of rollers comprises a lower roller 70also partially immersed in the activator solution 14 and a cooperatingupper roller 72. The third pair of rollers comprises a lower roller 74partially immersed in the stabilizer solution 16 and a cooperating upperroller 75. The fourth pair of rollers comprises a lower roller 76 whichis only lightly immersed in the stabilizer solution 16 and a cooperatingupper roller 78. The last pair of rollers comprises a lower roller 80which is spaced above the liquid level of the stabilizer solution 16 anda cooperating upper roller 82. All of the lower rollers are drivenrollers and are of the same diameter for propelling sheet materialthrough the apparatus at a uniform rate. In this embodiment of theinvention all of the upper rollers are of the same diameter as the lowerrollers except the last upper roller 82 which is of reduced diameter forvertical compactness of the apparatus.

Each of the ten rollers is mounted on a corresponding rigid shaft 84(FIGS. 2 and 3) and comprises a cylindrical body of yieldableelastomeric material such as a resilient grade of polyvinyl chloride orsuitable resilient neoprene. The rollers of each of the pairs arecompressed together to provide a mutual pressure Zone where the unitpressure is sufficiently high to serve the purpose of the invention. Forthis purpose each roller of a pair may be reduced in cross dimension byas much as 10 percent or more by the pressure of the other roller of thepair depending upon the yieldability of the elastomeric material and theunit pressure that is necessary to serve the purpose of the invention.

The roller assembly comprises the ten rollers divided into the twogroups and the previously mentioned second drive shaft 42 together witha left side plate 85 shown in FIG. 4 and a right side plate 86 shown inFIG. 5. For

the purpose of supporting the roller assembly at each of its fourcorners on the rim 24 of the receptacle 10, four lateral support tonguesare provided by the two side plates, namely, a forward tongue 88 and arearward tongue 90 on the left side plate 85 and a forward tongue 92 anda rearward tongue 94 on the right side plate 86.

For the purpose of centering or positioning the roller assembly on thereceptacle 10, the two tongues 92 and 94 on the right side plate 86 areprovided with apertures 95 (FIG. 5) which releasably engagecorresponding pins 96 on the receptacle 10 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.Since the fixed pins 96 are on the side of the roller assembly that isfurthest removed from the motor housing 18, the far side of the rollerassembly may be lifted clear of the pins to permit sidewise movement ofthe roller assembly for disengaging the square end 40 of the seconddrive shaft 42 from the socket in the first drive shaft 38. The rollerassembly is held together by the various roller shafts 84 and the seconddrive shaft 42, the various shafts being provided with snap rings 98(FIGS. 4 and 5) for this purpose.

The second drive shaft 42 carries a drive gear 100 on the outer side ofthe right side plate 86 for driving the first group of rollersassociated with the compartment 12 containing the activator solution andcarries a second drive gear 102 on the outer side of the left side plate85 for driving the second group of rollers associated with thecompartment 15 containing the stabilizer solution. As shown in FIG. 5the gear train associated with the drive gear 100 for actuating thefirst group of rollers comprises an idler pinion 104, a gear 105 that isunitary with the lower roller 70, an idler pinion 106, and a gear 108that is unitary with the lower roller 66. In like manner as shown inFIG. 5, the gear train that is associated with the drive gear 102 foractuating the second group of rollers comprises an idler pinion 110, agear 112 that is unitary with the lower roller 74, an idler pinion 114,a gear 115 that is unitary with the lower roller 76, an idler pinion116, and a gear 118 that is unitary with the lower roller 80. Thearrangement of the two gear trains on the opposite sides respectively ofthe roller assembly makes it impossible for one of the solutions tomigrate to the other solution by way of the gearing.

The manner in which the apparatus functions for its purpose may bereadily understood from the foregoing description. The operator simplyinserts the successive sheets of exposed photosensitive material intothe roller assembly through the feed slot 50 of the cover with theemulsion sides of the sheets facing downward and the fully processedsheets are discharged through the discharge slot 2 in the cover on theback side of the apparatus. Once a sheet is engaged by the first pair ofrollers 66 and 68 it is under close control as it passes through thesuccessive pairs of rollers.

FIG. 6A shows diagrammatically how a relatively short piece ofphotosensitive paper 120 passes from the first group of rollers to thesecond group of rollers. It is apparent that the sheet of paper may beas short as the distance between the two pressure zones of the two pairsof rollers.

FIG. 6B shows how a relatively limp sheet 122 such as a fabric sheetpasses through the apparatus. The leading end of the limp sheet 122droops as it emerges from each pair of rollers but the successive pairsof rollers are so close togetherthat the drooping leading end is pickedup by the next pair of rollers in the series. When the leading endreaches the partition 22 between the two compartments the droopingleading end of the fabric slides over the rounded upper edge of thepartition and is thereby led into engagement with the next pair ofrollers 74 and 75.

FIG. 6C shows diagrammatically how a relatively heavy metal plate 124 istransported through the apparatus. Since the three bottom rollers 74, 76and 118 of the second group of rollers are progressively elevated toposition the last pair of rollers above the level of the stabilizingsolution, there is a change in direction that results in bending of themetal plate 124. It is to be noted that the change in direction isrelatively slight and it is to be further noted that the spacing betweenthe two groups of rollers above the partition 22 permits the bending tobe distributed lengthwise of the metal plate.' Because of the low angleand the liberal space for the bending to occur, the metal plate 124 isnot flexed beyond its elastic limits and therefore emerges from theapparatus as fiat as when it entered the apparatus.

The important features of the operation of the apparatus are: first,that the two solutions are applied only to the emulsion-coated underfaces of the successive sheets; second, that the applied solutions aredriven into the undersidcs of the sheets by the pressure created by thesuccessive pairs of rollers; and, third, that since the successivesheets are not immersed in a solution in the course of the process, thehigh pressure exerted by the last pair of rollers 80 and 82 dries thesuccessive sheets so effectively that the sheets may be used for mockups without waiting through an additional drying period.

With the emulsion-coated faces of the successive sheets facing downward,the backs of the sheets are not wetted by either of the two solutions.For this reason the invention makes it possible to process sheets havingadhesive coatings on their back faces with no possibility of applyingthe processing solutions to the back faces. This fact is of specialimportance in making mock ups because it makes it practical to providethe photosensitive sheets with adhesive coatings in advance of theprocessing of the sheets. For further convenience, the adhesive coatingsmay be pressure-sensitive adhesives covered by the usual protectivesheets and the protective sheets may be peeled away as soon as thephotosensitive sheets emerge from the apparatus.

The fact that the upper rollers are not appreciably wetted by thesolutions and the fact that the solutions are applied solely to theunder faces of the successive sheets, may be understood by referring toFIG. 7. In FIG. 7 the lower feed roller 66 is liberally immersed in theactivator solution 14 and consequently a liberal layer of the activatorsolution accumulates on the forward side of the roller 66 between thebody of solution and the flat pressure zone 126 that is formed by thetwo rollers. If a sheet of photosensitive material is not presentbetween the two rollers 66 and 68, the pressure zone 126 functions as aneffective barrier against further travel of the clinging solution.Consequently the rear surface 128 of the lower roller 66 issubstantially dry and the whole peripheral surface of the upper roller68 is dry except at the entrance to the pressure zone 126.

When a photosensitive sheet is fed to the two rollers 66 and 68,solution from the coating 125 on the lower roller is transferred to theunderside of the traveling sheet but no solution is applied to the upperface of the traveling sheet by the upper roller 68. As the travelingsheet passes through the pressure zone 126 the relatively high pressurecreated by the lower roller 66 drives the solution into the underside ofthe photosensitive sheet with the consequence that the emulsion coatingon the underside of the traveling sheet is penetrated more effectivelythan would be possible by merely immersing the whole sheet into thesolution.

My description in specific detail of the selected embodiment of theinvention will suggest various changes, sub stitutions and otherdepartures from my disclosure within the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a photographic processing apparatus for applying processing liquidto sheets of print stock to develop latent images thereon, thecombination of:

container means having an input end and an output end with the containermeans forming a receptacle adjacent its input end for an activatingsolution and forming a receptacle near its output end for a stabilizersolution;

a series of upper rollers above the liquid level of the processingliquid and a series of lower rollers cooperative therewith to engage thesheets and transport the sheets from the input end of the containermeans to the output end across the processing liquid above the levelthereof;

the rollers of both series being relatively close together and forming asubstantially continuous bank of rollers from the input end of thecontainer means to the output end to keep the sheets under close controlincluding relatively short sheets and sheets of limp fabric,

some of the lower rollers being partially immersed in the processingliquid to apply the processing liquid to the under surfaces of thesheets,

a final lower roller on the output end being above the liquid level ofthe processing liquid and cooperating with a corresponding upper rollerto squeegee the sheets,

said rollers being divided into a first group above the activatingsolution and a second group above the stabilizer solution;

power means;

a drive shaft connected to the power means and extending between the twogroups of rollers parallel thereto,

and means including gearing for actuation of the rollers by the driveshaft, said gearing including two gear trains on opposite sides,respectively, of the container means for driving the two groups ofrollers respectively,

said drive shaft having two gears on its opposite ends which are membersof the two gear trains respectively,

alternate gears of each of the two gear trains being unitary with therollers respectively of the series of lower rollers,

said gear trains being separate from each other to prevent migration ofthe activating solution along the gearing to the stabilizer solution.

2. In a photographic processing apparatus for applying processing liquidto sheets of print stock to develop latent images thereon, thecombination of:

container means to contain a supply of the processing liquid; and

a series of upper rollers above the liquid level of the processingliquid and a series of lower rollers paired therewith to engage thesheets and transport the sheets from the input end of the containermeans to the output end across the liquid above the level thereof,

the pairs of rollers being relatively close together to keep the sheetsunder close control from the input end of the container means to theoutput end,

the pairs of rollers being divided into a first group near the input endof the container means and a second group leading to the output end ofthe container means, the pairs of rollers of the second group defining apath of travel of the sheets that is inclined upward from the path oftravel defined by the first group of rollers,

the space between the two groups of rollers being greater than the spacebetween the successive pairs of rollers in either group to provide roomfor bending of the sheets as they pass from the first group of rollersto the second group of rollers to avoid bending the sheets beyond theelastic limits of sheet metal stock.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,107,596 10/1963Arnold et al 9594 X 3,270,654 9/1966 Russell et a1 95--89 FOREIGNPATENTS 1,206,285 2/1960 France.

943,653 12/1963 Great Britain.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

20 F. L. BRAUN, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR APPLYING PROCESSING LIQUIDTO SHEETS OF PRINT STOCK TO DEVELOP LATENT IMAGES THEREON, THECOMBINATION OF: CONTAINER MEANS HAVING AN INPUT END AND AN OUTPUT ENDWITH THE CONTAINER MEANS FORMING A RECEPTACLE ADJACENT ITS INPUT END FORAN ACTIVATING SOLUTION AND FORMING A RECEPTACLE NEAR ITS OUTPUT END FORA STABILIZER SOLUTION; A SERIES OF UPPER ROLLERS ABOVE THE LIQUID LEVELOF THE PROCESSING LIQUID AND A SERIES OF LOWER ROLLERS COOPERATIVETHEREWITH TO ENGAGE THE SHEETS AND TRANSPORT THE SHEETS FROM THE INPUTEND OF THE CONTAINER MEANS TO THE OUTPUT END ACROSS THE PROCESSINGLIQUID ABOVE THE LEVEL THEREOF; THE ROLLERS OF BOTH SERIES BEINGRELATIVEL CLOSE TOGETHER AND FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS BANK OFROLLERS FROM THE INPUT END OF THE CONTAINER MEANS TO THE OUTPUT END TOKEEP THE SHEETS UNDER CLOSE CONTROL INCLUDING RELATIVELY SHORT SHEETSAND SHEETS OF LIMP FABRIC, SOME OF THE LOWER ROLLERS BEING PARTIALLYIMMERSED IN THE PROCESSING LIQUID TO APPLY THE PROCESSING LIQUID TO THEUNDER SURFACES OF THE SHEETS, A FINAL LOWER ROLLER ON THE OUTPUT ENDBEING ABOVE THE LIQUID LEVEL OF THE PROCESSING LIQUID AND COOPERATINGWITH A CORRESPONDING UPPER ROLLER TO SQUEEGEE THE SHEETS, SAID ROLLERSBEING DIVIDED INTO A FIRST GROUP ABOVE THE ACTIVATING SOLUTION AND ASECOND GROUP ABOVE THE STABILIZER SOLUTION; POWER MEANS; A DRIVE SHAFTCONNECTED TO THE POWER MEANS AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS OFROLLERS PARALLEL THERETO, AND MEANS INCLUDING GEARING FOR ACTUATION OFTHE ROLLERS BY THE DRIVE SHAFT, SAID GEARING INCLUDING TWO GEAR TRAINSON OPPOSITE SIDES, RESPECTIVELY, OF THE CONTAINER MEANS FOR DRIVING THETWO GROUPS OF ROLLERS RESPECTIVELY, SAID DRIVE SHAFT HAVING TWO GEARS ONITS OPPOSITE ENDS WHICH ARE MEMBERS OF THE TWO GEAR TRAINS RESPECTIVELY,ALTERNATE GEARS OF EACH OF THE TWO GEAR TRAINS BEING UNITARY WITH THEROLLERS RESPECTIVELY OF THE SERIES OF LOWER ROLLERS, SAID GEAR TRAINSBEING SEPARATE FROM EACH OTHER TO PREVENT MIGRATION OF THE ACTIVATINGSOLUTION ALONG THE GEARING TO THE STABILIZER SOLUTION.